Federal immigration agents have been reported across greater Minnesota as heightened enforcement activities continue in the Twin Cities.

Minnesotans across the state are reporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in their communities, from Rochester to Detroit Lakes. In the last month, the Department of Homeland Security has dispatched thousands of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to Minnesota for immigration enforcement in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Tensions in the Twin Cities and state have soared after ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year old Renee Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Amid widespread protests after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said “hundreds” more officers would be sent to Minnesota, Reuters reported.

ICE activity appears to have fanned out across the state, with increasing reports of agents in smaller Minnesota cities.

On Monday, the Detroit Lakes Tribune reported that ICE arrested a man in Detroit Lakes at the China Buffet restaurant. In a video posted of ICE agents outside the restaurant, an agent says the man will be taken to the ICE Field Office at 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling.

According to the U.S. Justice Department website, that address is the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, a field office for ICE which covers several midwestern states and an epicenter of anti-ICE protests in recent days.

In St. Cloud, witnesses report chaos as armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended on a strip mall to arrest someone Monday. According to St. Cloud LIVE reporting, witnesses said two protesters and a Somali resident were detained. Bystanders were pepper-sprayed, the story said.

The report from St. Cloud comes after St. Cloud LIVE confirmed ICE activity in St. Cloud and Waite Park on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, more than 3,000 protesters lined several blocks along Division Street in St. Cloud in a demonstration against recent ICE activity in central Minnesota.

Late last week, the Rochester Post Bulletin reported about an increased presence of federal immigration agents in the far southeast Minnesota city. There, local lawmakers said they were aware of increased ICE activity in the area.

The Alexandria Echo Press reported ICE agents were spotted in Alexandria Saturday.

Reports of immigration enforcement have caused at least one area business to close for the time being. Don Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant, which has locations in Fergus Falls and Detroit Lakes, closed until further notice on Sunday, citing ICE activity.

Fargo-Moorhead area

While ICE activity has not been confirmed in the Fargo-Moorhead area, some residents have posted about ICE presence in the community on social media and websites that track ICE operations. Some have posted reports of ICE sightings on iceout.org, though those reports are unverified. The website allows users to upload reports of ICE sightings with photos and videos.

Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski told WDAY News federal authorities have not made his department aware of any operations they may have going on in the city.

He said his department has received calls from community members about suspected ICE activity around schools, but when officers checked it out, that was not the case.

The Moorhead Police Department declined an interview request about ICE operations in Moorhead, instead sending a written statement on behalf of Police Chief Chris Helmick.

“The Moorhead Police Department does not comment on operations conducted by other agencies, including ICE,” Helmick said. “We are not in a position to confirm or provide information regarding their activities or whereabouts.”

In December, the Moorhead Police Department told WDAY the Moorhead Police Department would not assist with ICE operations in Moorhead. The department enforces local and state law. Immigration is a federal civil matter.

Moorhead Area Public Schools Superintendent Brandon Lunak addressed concerns about immigration enforcement in a message to families Monday. The school district follows laws to protect the privacy, safety and educational rights of students, he said.

“As part of our enrollment and registration process, we do not request or maintain information about the immigration status of our students or families,” Lunak said.

Additionally, district policy prohibits an outside agency from entering Moorhead schools without permission, a valid warrant or court order. Federal law limits the district from sharing student education records without written parental consent or a lawfully issued order, Lunak said.

“Our priority is to ensure that students feel safe, supported, and welcome in our schools so they can attend regularly, remain engaged and stay focused on learning and growth,” Lunak wrote.

On Monday, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her jointly announced a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to end the immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota. The lawsuit argues that the surge violates the First and 10th amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution’s guarantee of equal sovereignty between state and federal governments and a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.